Constructivist+Approaches

= ﻿﻿Constructivist Approaches to Learning = (by Sara Coleman and Amy Shelley)





__ Glossary of Key Terms __ of students with poor comprehension.
 * Student-centered learning ﻿learning which allows students to construct meaning and take ownership of their own learning through a collaborative effort
 * Cooperative learning ﻿peer-assisted learning, small group of students working together while helping each other learn
 * Critical thinking ﻿ ﻿being able to make decisions rationally about what to believe or what to do
 * Discovery learning ﻿ ﻿ component of constructivism which encourages students to learn through active involvement with principles and concepts
 * Reciprocal teaching ﻿ constructivist approach with a small group using teacher modeling through the use of questions to improve the reading performance

The constructivist theory gets its name from students taking information and constructing their own meaning. Allowing students the opportunity to construct their own meaning will lead students to taking ownership of their learning. A constructivist approach to learning is one in which students are actively learning in a student-centered environment helping each other to gain knowledge on a specific topic. This strategy can be applied at the elementary and secondary grade levels.How children learn about the world in which they live in is by constructing schemas, background knowledge, and through their own experiences. A student-centered approach to learning allows students to construct meaning and take ownership of their own learning through a collaborative effort. The //top-down approach// is when students are given complex problems in order to figure out which basic skills are required for the specific task or problem. The constructivist approach utilizes the //top-down// process, which unlike the traditional bottom-up process uses more complex problems for students to discuss and solve. The bottom-up process starts with basic skills and then moves to more complex skills. Often, students will work together in cooperative learning groups which enable students to discuss the problem with one another. The constructivist approach to learning concentrates on a student-centered approach which allows students to construct meaning by direct experiences rather than the traditional lecture from the teacher. The learner will develop meaning through their own experiences enabling them to acquire an understanding of the material. The teaching is a "hands-off" approach; therefore, the teacher acts as a facilitator providing the students with the necessary tools and then observing and assessing the students (Borich, 2007). The teacher’s main responsibility is to supply the students with the necessary tools and then let the students explore. While observing the teacher is assessing the students knowledge and the application of the knowledge on the specific topic.

__**Here are some characteristics of Constructivism:**__ 1. The learner is emphasized over the teacher 2. Learning is a process of cognitive construction 3. Learning takes place best through active manipulation 4. New learning begins by activating previous understanding 5. Learning takes place best in environments that are rich and complex 6. Posing problems of emerging relevance increases authenticity and fosters motivation 7. Whenever possible original source materials should be used over predigested summaries 8. Social and cultural context are important to the understanding constructed by the learner.



What does a Constructivist Classroom look like?

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 * =** Traditional Classroom **= || =** Constructivist Classroom **= ||
 * Students are Recipients of Knowledge || Students Connect Their Own Knowledge ||
 * Learning is Based on Repetition || Learning is Interactive, Building on Student’s Schema ||
 * Teacher’s Role is Rooted in Authority || Teacher’s Role is Rooted in Negotiation ||
 * Assessment is Through Testing || Assessments are Observations, Viewpoints and Tests ||
 * Assessment is Through Testing || Assessments are Observations, Viewpoints and Tests ||

@Constructivist Terminology Overview

@Case Study @Cooperative Learning @Critical Thinking @Discovery Learning @History @Teacher as a Facilitator

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